


OUAT, episode 7: ''Behind the Blue Door''

by Omorocca



Series: Once Upon a Time [6]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-12
Updated: 2012-11-12
Packaged: 2017-11-18 12:09:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/560913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Omorocca/pseuds/Omorocca
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Episode 7, combines the Storybrooke parts of 'Lady of the Lake' and 'The Crocodile' (minus the library-hamburger scene) and a new Fairy-tale Land story.</p>
<p>I still haven't managed to fix how the side re-edits the overall presentation, but other than that, it's quite darker, so I'm very proud of myself.</p>
<p>Comments are always appreciated, whether you liked or hated the story, tell me why - with respect - and how could I make it better.<br/>Enjoy your reading!</p>
            </blockquote>





	OUAT, episode 7: ''Behind the Blue Door''

Fanfiction  
Characters © OUAT writers and producers  
Mother Gothel and Rapunzel © Grimm  
Rebecca, Dominic and original characters are mine

 

Storybrooke, Maine

The sun pierced through the hospital window just as its occupant was about to be released. She had spent the whole day at the hospital, getting all kinds of tests, especially for the baby. Rapunzel was now combing her very long hair when Dr Whale entered, an anxious look on his face and playing with his hands.

“Oh, there you are” Rapunzel said with an accusatory tone.  
“Miss Toren… I see you’re all better.”  
“Yes, she answered sarcastically. Someone took care of me while the doctor in charge of my survival was away… At the town border, if I believe the rumour.”

Her tone was harsh and yet worried, like a mother lecturing her child… like her own mother, perhaps.

“It’s true… some of us wanted to leave.”  
“Leave… But I also heard a rumour that people who leave lose their memories again. Why do it then?”  
“Because Regina has regained her powers.”  
“She… she has? How did that happen?”  
“I’m not sure… There’s a lot of things here I don’t understand and I thought I could just play along… I’m not sure of anything now.”

He seemed lost but she was too shaken by the revelations to try and reassure him. The woman who had conspired to kill her and her unborn child had now regained her powers. She was now more than a threat.

“Well, I’m sure of one thing, she said. If you walk out on your patients, you will carry this with you forever, no matter how much you forget.”  
“I could use your help.” She startled and he had a little smile. “I know… how dare I? But I saw you cure and save many patients with your magic and they trust you.”

She stared at him thoroughly, her hand playing with her now whole amulet. She had indeed done much with her mother’s magic and now that Rumpelstiltskin had given her the other half – a peace offering – she could do so much more, if she could master this new power.

“I’m not a nurse or a doctor.”  
“That can be arranged, he answered with a more honest smile. There are exams you can take and I’ll help you. With magic here, there will be patients with illnesses beyond this world’s capacities. Your presence will be more than welcome.”  
“I haven’t said yes, yet”, she answered leaving the room.

In the waiting room, Wilfried, his father, baby Gabriel and Gavin, the faithful friend, were all waiting for her.

“My boys are all here”, she said gleefully.

Wilfried took her in his arms and kissed her deeply. No one noticed the new patient coming in behind them, on a stretcher.

It’s the noise that made Rapunzel turn around. It was like a piece of metal had hit the ground. The stretcher and the man on it were already far away when she picked the object.

It was a key. A little golden key that seemed covered in dried blood.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Blue Beard’s castle

In her room, Blue Beard’s seventh wife was getting ready to go to bed, a preoccupied look on her face, when another woman entered the room. In a nightgown as well, the woman pulled her younger sister out of her reverie.

“Good evening.”  
“OH!... Anne, you startled me!”  
“You startled easily today. Even earlier with our guests, you always seemed concerned. Is everything all right?”  
“It’s nothing… Just, my husband told me something before he left yesterday and I can’t stop thinking about it.”  
“What is it?”  
“I don’t know if I should…”  
“Marie, please!”  
“I- I know you don’t trust him and you think he’s evil or something. When he courted us, you kept telling me to stay away, but he’s been so kind to me…”

She groaned and took a set of keys from her nightstand. 

“They open all the doors of the castle. He gave them to me so I could see everything while he was away. I can go everywhere, even his bedchamber or his office.”  
“Well, this is a good thing. He doesn’t want to keep secrets from you.” Anne let a sigh of relief. “Maybe I judged him to quic—”

She stopped. Her little sister’s face seemed really worried in spite of this good news. There was something else, something about this last key she showed her. The smallest of the lot, shining bright, like brand new.

“This is the only key he forbade me to use. He made me promise and he said that he would be very angry if I disobeyed him and he would make me regret it.”  
“Then why give it to you if he doesn’t want you to— oh, this is a test! He wants to see if you can keep your word.”  
“Maybe… but, before we married, you told me you heard of horrible rumours about him? Things he did to his other wives?”  
“They are just rumours. I only told you that because I was terrified of him – and I still am – but now I have seen how he is with you. He really cares for you, enough to invite your old maid of a sister to live here so you wouldn’t feel so alone.”

They both shared a laugh at the remark. Anne paused and looked at Marie with love.

“Look, he’s coming back tomorrow. Once he’s settled, talk to him about it. Tell him you respect his wishes but you would also know why he would be so upset. If he truly loves you, he might give you an explanation.”

Marie smiled and Anne bid her good night. Once alone, the younger sister thought long and hard about what to do, but in the end she gave up and went to bed to try to sleep.

 

Sleep failed. An hour later, she was in the corridor with the little key in her hand. She walked pass her sister’s room and down two floors to a little round door painted in dark blue. Everything in the castle looked rich and new. Except this painted door that seemed ready to break at the first knock.

Marie looked over her shoulder and put the key in the lock, but changed her mind and left. She was halfway up when she realised the key was still in the lock. She walked back to it and unlocked the blue door in one gesture. When it opened, she stepped back, key in her hand, unsure.

Everything was darkness.

Marie stepped inside the room to see, but it took her time to get her eyes used to the lack of light. Her foot stepped into something gooey, and it smelled very bad but she couldn’t see what it was. She looked back up and gasped: another pair of eyes was staring at her. For a moment, she thought it was her husband’s but then she saw another pair of eyes, and another… Once her own eyes were acquainted with the dark, she could see six cadavers. Six women. The previous wives of the one called Blue Beard.

She screamed and stepped away, but lost the key in the process. Down on all fours, she searched through the blood to find it and then ran back to her room.

 

That’s what the rumour was about. That’s what Anne was so scared of. The secret Blue Beard would be angry to see revealed. He was a murderer!

And she would be next.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Storybrooke, Maine

The morning after, inside Dr Whale’s office at the hospital, Rapunzel was reading a book and trying to take notes, while the doctor was also reading and gathering study material.

“This one could be useful too. If I remember my curse memories correctly, of course.”  
“Lucky you, you didn’t have to actually read them all, she answered with a smirk. I don’t even understand half of what’s in there.”  
“Well, to be honest with you, you don’t have to understand any of this. All you have to do is know the material so you can take the exams. I need you more as a resident magician than as a doctor.”

He tried to keep the sarcasm away from that sentence, but she did hear it.

“Resident magician?”  
“Or… however you would like to be called. No offense intended. I just need someone I can rely on to help people who will come in with, well, curses instead of diseases. But in this world, rules are different and if things keep changing… I could get in trouble if I don’t play by these rules and make your presence here legal.”  
“Well… lucky for you I married a lawyer.”

Dr Whale frowned, not understanding the joke and Rapunzel shrugged.

“Never mind… back to science” she answered with a little sarcasm at the word.

This time, he understood and smirked. If this worked, Miss Toren would be able to treat all the magically induced problems, leaving him with more important things to do.

 

The little bell rang when the door of Granny’s opened, revealing the soon-to-be ex-mayor of Storybrooke. Having a little lunch at the counter, Rapunzel saw her enter and immediately grabbed her amulet.

“You can relax, Miss Toren. I’m just here to get lunch.”  
“After the last stunt you pulled on me? I prefer to be too cautious than dead, thank you very much.”

At the counter, Ruby watched them carefully and decided not to mingle in their business… yet. Regina had a sarcastic smile, and a discreet look at her watch.

“Sounds like something your mother would have said.”  
“It… it does, indeed, Rapunzel answered. Speaking of mothers; how is Henry since you abducted him?”  
“I- I didn’t abduct him… well, maybe I did… but the point is: Henry doesn’t live with me anymore. I let him go with David.”  
“Really? Why?”  
“Remember how you said you were wrong to think me a good mother?... Well, you guessed correctly. Henry doesn’t love me and I can’t force him to, so…”

The look of pain on Regina’s face – even if she was trying to hide it – made Rapunzel calm down.

“You need to earn his love again.”  
“That’s why I’m here. We’re going to have lunch together, so I can try to be a good mother for an hour.”  
“A whole hour? How will you manage that?”

The remark was more of a tease than an insult and Regina accepted it with a contrived smile. In waiting for her son, she looked at the text in Rapunzel’s book.

“What is that?... a medicine book?”  
“ugh… I know. Dr Whale asked me to become a permanent employee of the hospital and silly me, said yes. So now, I’m up to my ears in illnesses and treatments…”  
“You’re going to be a nurse?”  
“Dr Whale’s official term is ‘Resident magician’.”

They shared a shy laugh, as Regina looked at her watch, again. Rapunzel noticed.

“Henry?”  
“He should have been here already”, Regina answered with worry.  
“Maybe he’s right outside, wondering what to talk about for this whole hour of goodness with you.” Rapunzel had another laugh. “Don’t worry. He just needs to get used to this new situation.”  
“I’m losing him.”  
“Well, you’re still his mother. You just need to remember how to be one.”

Saying this, the witch’s daughter instinctively put a hand on her belly, where the second son was slowly growing. Regina noticed.

“Are… are you…?”  
“For two weeks now.”  
“Two— That means.”

She couldn’t say it, but Rapunzel understood she meant the accident could have killed it.

“How did you?...”  
“Save him? Rumpelstiltskin. He owed me.”  
“Well, for what it’s worth, I’m sorry. If I had known…”

Rapunzel smiled.

“The Regina I know would have never said that. Henry would be proud!”  
“Henry should have been here already.” She sighed. “I shouldn’t have come. I was stupid to think he wanted to see me, after what I did to him.”  
“Maybe he just got cold feet. You just need to earn his trust again. Go home, go back to what you were doing before he called. Clear your head and call him back. Offer to meet after school, maybe to walk him home.”  
“That’s an idea”, Regina answered unconvinced.  
“Have patience. Doing the right thing is a lot of work.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Blue Beard’s castle

Marie was in her room walking around in circles, when Anne entered with a concerned look on her face.

“I just received a letter from our brothers. They don’t think they can be here today.” Marie sighed desperately, and Anne sat on her bed, watching her. “Why did you send for them? And more importantly, why are you so devastated that they can’t be here?”  
“I- I don’t know if I can tell…”  
“Marie, please! Tell me what’s going on.”

But she was too scared to talk, Instead, she went to her nightstand and pulled the key out. Anne saw it and understood immediately.

“You… you went to his secret room?”  
“I tried not to. I really wanted to keep my promise, but—Oh, this is terrible!”  
“What?... What did you see in there?”

Marie was pale as death, her hands shaking and the key fell on the floor. Anne took a glimpse of it and had a gasp of terror.

“Is… is that blood?”  
“It won’t come off. I tried everything.”

She grabbed it and looked at it carefully.

“What’s in this room? What did you see?”  
“Oh, Anne, this was so horrible… I- I can’t…”

And she burst in tears in her sisters’ arms.

 

An hour later, Anne stood in front of the blue door, about to unlock it and see for herself what monstrosity hid in there. In her hand, the little key awaited as well and she was about to use it when she heard a commotion behind her. Marie came in a panic and ran past her.

“He’s returned!”

Anne ran after her, the key still in her hand. The man with the blue beard had returned early from his business trip, cutting any escape plan from happening.

The carriage door opened, revealing Blue Beard, all smiles to see his wife come to him.

“Dearest!”  
“You returned early”, Marie answered, out of breath.  
“My business concluded before I expected it.” He took her hands in his, but then looked concerned. “Are you all right, love? You look very pale.”  
“I just saw your carriage come in and I wanted to greet you, this is all!”

Blue Beard smiled, reassured and with a bow, kissed his wife’s hands, as Anne appeared behind, both hands keeping the key hidden behind her back.

“So, how was your trip?” Anne asked.  
“Very uneventful, my dear Anne. Come on inside, you two… We’ll discuss it over dinner, and you can also tell me all the things you did and all the guests you had while I was away!”

He was all so gentle and caring with his wife; Anne couldn’t see in this man what about him was so scary. She who had been so wary of him before, had seen him change completely and become this wonderful person. Yet, when Blue Beard kissed her hand in greeting, Anne kept the key in her other hand, behind her back, promising to go look behind the blue door later, and clear the mystery.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Storybrooke, Maine

It had been a few weeks since Rapunzel had accepted Dr Whale’s offer and she was now outside of his office, waiting to take the exams. By her side, were her husband and her ex were also waiting.

“Thank you for agreeing to do this, Rumpelstiltskin.”  
“Well, someone has to use their magic for good in this town… as someone I deeply respect once said.”

Rapunzel blushed at the compliment.

“Thanks.”  
“I am trying, you know.”

She giggled.

“I know… Belle must like the improvement.”  
“I- I don’t know, really. There’s so much I would like to tell her, but I don’t even know how to say it.”  
“Well, she does know you’re helping me with this… I mean, after saving my life, helping me save others’ that’s a big step towards being a good man.”  
“I’m not a good man. Most of what I do is for the sole purpose of getting Belle to trust me more.”  
“How brutally honest of you”, Wilfried answered.  
“Except it’s not working, the pawnbroker answered with a sigh. The more I keep silent, the more she draws away from me. I’m losing her.”  
“Well, I just found something to do while you’re taking these exams.” He took a look at Mr Gold and had a little smile. “You’re helping my true love today, so I’ll see if I can help yours.”

And after a kiss to his wife, the prince left her in the care of the man that he used to call his enemy. Rumpelstiltskin and Rapunzel looked at each other and with a sigh entered the office.

 

In the pawnshop, Belle was reading a book, looking up from time to time at the chipped cup in the display case, when Wilfried entered.

“Good morning, Belle!”

She looked at him with a puzzled look on her face.

“Hi… weren’t you at the hospital for Rebecca—I mean, for Rapunzel’s exams?”  
“Well, I’m not really useful there and since your true love is helping mine through it, I thought maybe I could help… you.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“Gold told me he wasn’t making any progress in his relationship with you and I thought maybe I could, I don’t know, lend a hand?” He smiled at her troubled reaction. “You know we’re here for you, anytime!”  
“I know, I just—I know he’s trying to better himself and that he’s changing, and I really admire him for it…”  
“… however?”  
“I can’t seem to be able to talk to him about anything. I know he sometimes makes deals with people here and doesn’t speak to me about them. I know he’s spending all his nights out because I hear him come back to his room in the morning. When I ask him if he had a good night, he always keeps vague or changes the subject. I know something’s going on and he’s not telling me. Sometimes I would just like to look through his things and see what the big secret is.”

He paused before taking the time to answer with as less bias as possible.

“Not a good idea. Snooping through the secrets of someone who does dark magic can have catastrophic consequences. I know! My kingdom was plagued by such a person.” But he wasn’t here to talk about the man with the blue beard. He changed the subject. “Don’t snoop… just ask. He’ll probably avoid answering but you just have to keep asking him to be honest with you. And maybe, just maybe, he might get the courage to open up eventually.”

She had a sad smile.

“I guess I’ll try again.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Blue Beard’s castle

“WHAT DID YOU DO?”

Marie wept and tried to struggle her arm out from his grasp. But Blue Beard’s rage made him so strong that even Anne’s help wasn’t enough for the poor woman.

“Please, husband… I’m sorry.”  
“You made me a promise! YOU PROMISED ME!!”  
“I know… please!”

Anne had grabbed one of his arms and as softly as she could in these circumstances, asked him to let her sister go.

“Did she show you too? Did you see it?”  
“What… what are you talking about, my lord? What’s in this room?”  
“This is none of your business! NONE OF IT!”

And he shoved Anne off of him and grabbed Marie by both shoulders, shaking her.

“I trusted you! You gave me your word and I trusted you! I should have known you would betray me. LIKE ALL THE OTHERS!”

And dragging her on the floor, he took her to her room and unceremoniously threw her on the floor. Before locking the door, he shouted that she should say her prayers, because that day was going to be her last. Then, as Anne was trying all she could to reason with him, he grabbed her by the neck and threw her in her own room.

“I will deal with you, once I have punished this treacherous wife of mine!”

Running back downstairs, he passed the blue door and put the key in the lock. Among the corpses and the blood, was also a big and sharp sword. He picked it up, not even caring about the dried blood on its blade, and left the room again.

 

“Oh this is horrible! What have I done? Oh, God! What have I done?”

Marie was by her window and her sister, on her own balcony, heard her.

“Marie, you have to tell me, please! What did you see in there?”  
“Oh, Anne! You were right… this man is a monster. In the room… what was that noise?”  
“Nothing, continue!”  
“I saw them all… all their eyes, staring at me! All his other wives.”  
“What?”  
“He killed them all, Anne! He—What is this noise?”  
“Don’t worry, it’s me! I’m trying to light up a fire.”  
“A… a what?”  
“Remember when we were little? When our brothers were playing knights? They kept telling us to light a lantern in our window if we were in distress.”  
“But you said they couldn’t come!”  
“I said they couldn’t come today… but the day is almost over and—if they can’t save us, at least… they can avenge us.”

Marie wept again, but Anne had a smile; she had finally lit up a torch big enough to lighten up a whole room and set it on the balcony.

“Marie, listen to me. I was right to call him a monster, but I was also right when I said he cares for you. Try to appeal to him, stall him, tell him how much you regret and try to buy as much time as possible; your life depends on it!”  
“I’m so terrified!”  
“I know. So am I… just try to hang on as long as you can.”  
“I HOPE YOU HAVE SAID YOUR PRAYERS!”

His voice gave them both chills and kept them silent for a few seconds.

“I will take this silence as a form of consent, then.”  
“No, husband, please!” Marie’s voice was breaking from the tears. “Give me more time, I beg of you… If you really loved me, please, give me this much before you take my life.”  
“If I loved you?”  
“Well, you must have… at least a little, to ask me to marry you?”

On the other side of the door, there was a deep silence. On the balcony, Anne kept watching and hoping their brothers would come soon.

“I did love you, Marie. You were the first to marry me, not for my money or my power, but because you seemed to think I was better than these rumours about me. You thought that I was a good man.”  
“I- I did… I still do.”  
“No you don’t.” His voice was losing his fearsome tone, revealing something for the first time… and for the last. “You saw what’s in there and you know I’m a monster. In this land, if people knew what I do, they would burn me. That’s why I always kept it secret and silenced everyone who learned about it. But even monsters can get lonely over time, so I marry the first woman who seems not to be repulsed by my appearance.” The tone of menace returned. “But none of them truly cared for me enough to keep their promise and leave my secret alone.”  
“I am so sorry… I truly am. I regret it so much. Can you please give me another chance, to make it up to you?”

Another uncomfortable silence.

“I would really love to. Of all my wives, I loved you the most, Marie. I still do, in spite of your betrayal. I truly love you.”  
“Then I can try to repair this trust I broke and your love won’t be in vain.”  
“I can’t.” His voice was now just a flood of tears and anger. “No matter how we try, can you promise me you will look at me as you used to? Will you see me as something else than a monster?”  
“I- I promise.”

The poor woman would have said anything to save her life and Blue Beard knew it too well.

“You’re lying, Marie! You will never see me as the man who once courted you, anymore. I will always be the abomination who killed his wives to preserve his secret.”  
“I’m not lying… I promise, I will do everything I can so we can be like before. Please, give me a chance!”

Another silence, as Marie ran to the window and whispered to Anne if she could see her brothers.

“Nothing yet, sorry”, Anne answered.  
“Oh, please, God… make them come here soon!”

At the door, Blue Beard’s answer turned her blood to ice.

“I cannot.”

And he opened the door to face his wife, the blade still in his hand. She gasped and almost fainted.

“Your time is over.”  
“No… not like this. You ARE more than what these rumours say. You can be kind and gentle. You are a better man than this.”

He had an honest sad look at her.

“No I’m not. But you made me want to be one.”  
“You were… and you can be that again. Give me another chance. Maybe love can be stronger than this.”  
“Love?... I know you don’t love me. Not like I love you. You just liked that I loved you and thought it was enough. This kind of love can’t fix a betrayal this big.”  
“I understand.” She was trembling from head to toe, unable to move. “But maybe it can stop you from killing me. I’ll be your wife forever – dark secret or not – I’m not worthy, but at least you will have someone you love by your side always.”  
“A love that will always fear and despise me? I can’t, Marie. Enough talking now, come with me.”  
“Wait!” She needed to buy more time. “Let me say goodbye to my sister.”

The man accepted his wife’s last wish and unlocked Anne’s door. The two women held each other tightly and Anne whispered into Marie’s ear: “Don’t give up.”

Indeed, the faithful sister had seen smoke coming from the east road.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Storybrooke, Maine

Rapunzel and Wilfried were walking home, hand in hand, when they saw Mr Gold’s car pull out in their driveway. The pawnbroker walked out, alone. The look on his face made their smiles immediately vanish.

“What’s going on?”  
“Belle… has disappeared.”  
“What?”  
“We had an argument this morning and later, I went to her room and she had left. She went out by the window and down, using the gutter.”

Rapunzel looked at Wilfried, feeling responsible.

“That’s how we escaped the fire in my old house… Do you have any idea where she could have gone? I mean, outside of the shop, she still didn’t see much of the town.”  
“I thought she might have tried to contact her father, so I went to see him. He had no idea where she was… not that he would have helped me if he did.”  
“What do you need from us?” Wilfried asked.  
“I need Rapunzel to see if she can use her magic to find her.”  
“But your powers returned. Why don’t you use yours, then?”  
“Because, when my feelings are involved, my powers are weakened and… well, Gothel’s magic is fuelled by love, not clouded by it.”

Rapunzel nodded and took Wilfried’s hand to help her channel the magic. She closed her eyes and tried for some time, but in the end she only sighed.

“I’m sorry… I don’t really know which spell to use to find someone. I wished I could but I think you will need to get someone else to help you.”  
“No one in this town will want to help me.”  
“Then, Wilfried suggested, you need to find someone who owes you a favour and collect… or you can go to the Saviour’s father. He did a lot to fix this town, maybe he’ll be more helpful than us.”  
“Maybe.”  
“I will try again later, Rapunzel said. And please, tell us the moment you find her.”  
“I will… thank you.”

And he left, looking more miserable than they had ever seen.

 

Later, in a hospital room, Rapunzel was starting to do her rounds and checking the patient’s files, absentmindedly thinking about Belle. On a file, she saw it was a case of broken bones and knew she could fix it. Using her mother’s amulet, she quickly repaired the damage and noted it on the file, so Dr Whale could sign the patient’s release when he’d return. Once this patient was helped, she moved out of the room.

A woman was waiting for her at the nurses’ station.

“Excuse me, are you Miss Toren?”  
“Well, that’s my name here, yes. How may I help you?”  
“I came because of this.”

It was a ‘Have you seen me?’ poster. But instead of a drawing of a person, like all the other posters this town was plastered with, it showed the drawing of a little golden key.

“It belonged to one of the patients here, but I don’t know who, so I thought I could return it.”  
“Why?... I mean, it’s a key, not a person.”  
“Well, this key contains some magic. When I grabbed it, I just felt it and I thought a magic key would mean a lot to the person who lost it. Do you know this person, miss…”  
“Marie. It belonged to my late husband. His name might not mean anything to you, but the people of our land knew him as Blue Beard.”  
“Blue… you were married to Blue Beard?”

Rapunzel almost shouted that question and it made Marie startle.

“You knew him?”  
“I do know him! He threatened to kill my husband’s kingdom, and again a few weeks ago, he tried to kill me.”  
“… What?... You mean, he’s alive? He’s here?”  
“Unfortunately… I’m sorry to ask, but wouldn’t you happen to have two knight brothers who mortally wounded him?”  
“They did. I didn’t know he survived. How could he…? And he harmed you?”  
“I think we need to exchange stories. Why don’t you go first?”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Blue Beard’s castle

Blue Beard dragged Marie to the room where all the other wives were. She struggled and pleaded again, for Anne’s message of hope had given her some more strength.

“Goodbye, my wife.”  
“No, wait!”  
“No more waiting!” he answered, throwing her on the ground.  
“Before you kill me… forgive me?”

He paused, his hand ready to strike, and then slowly bowed his head.

“I forgive you.”

And then he lowered his blade to slit her throat open. At the same moment, Anne came from behind him and hit him in the head with a brass candlestick. When he fell from the shock, she grabbed her sister and ran for the exit, quickly explaining.

“It was them. They’re coming!”

They ran downstairs and three corridors to the front entrance and were about to open the door when Blue Beard’s hand grabbed Marie’s hair and forced the woman on her knees. Anne ran on him again, but he hit her with the blade.

At this moment, the door was kicked open and the women’s brothers came in, their swords out. They charged the man and quickly disarmed him, but Blue Beard’s weapons were many. With an attack spell, he shoved a brother on the wall and recovered his sword. To protect himself, he had now let his secret out: dark magic. He would now have to kill them all.

The two brothers and Anne all ran on him at the same time, counting on their numbers to overcome the man. In the meantime, Marie had grabbed a decorative sword from the entrance and hit her husband in the back as hard as she could with its dull blade.

It worked. Blue Beard retreated through the open door, stealing one of the horses.

After making sure their sisters were all right, the two knights ran after him. They caught up with him in the woods, trying to heal his wound with some of his magic.

“Heal this!” shouted one, thrusting his sword through the beast.

They plunged their blades through him until the man stopped moving and they went back to the castle, leaving behind them what they thought was a dead corpse.

 

Many hours later, Blue Beard reopened his eyes and crawled to the nearest body of water, and then home. But from the distance, he could see all the horses by the entrance. Horses bearing knight coats of armour and a carriage.

His home wasn’t safe anymore. That is, until he had recovered and could claim it as his again. He would need more magic.

A lot more.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Storybrooke, Maine

By the end of the day, Rapunzel knew her sworn enemy’s entire story. Marie had to revive this horrible moment and in exchange, the witch’s daughter had told her what Blue Beard had done to the Fisher King’s kingdom and all that had happened in Storybrooke.

“So, all of this because he wanted to keep his magic a secret? I mean, I know not every kingdom approves of it—you could speak to my father-in-law about magic… but murder to keep it secret? He could have used his magic for protection instead.”  
“I wish he had, Marie answered with a smile. None of this would have happened.”  
“Well, at least one good thing came out of this. As his ‘widow’, you inherited a fortune and could help your sister and yourself marry good men.”  
“I did… We have been very happy ever since and when the curse broke, all four of us and our loved ones found each other again… So what are you going to do to him now?”  
“Well, I tried saving his life and he almost took mine, so I think I’ll just let him be miserable in his room for a while.”  
“Was it foolish of me to think he could be a better man?”  
“Of course not. You always think you can fix what’s damaged, but some people are just broken beyond repair.”

They found the room and looked through the window at the unconscious man.

“How do you forgive someone like this?”  
“You accept them as a part of what happened to your life, as something that made you who you are today. I forgave both my monsters, even called one of them family. After this life and the curse, you are finally happy again. Maybe you need to just let go.”

She gave her the key and left her by the glass to keep doing her rounds.

 

The knock at the door made the whole family startle and Gavin opened the door, revealing Mr Gold.

“You. What are you doing here?”  
“Did you find her?” asked Rapunzel, coming behind him.  
“I- I did.”

Gavin let him in and Rapunzel looked at her former enemy with great concern. By her side, her whole family seemed genuinely worried about Belle… and about him, as well. Which made him uncomfortable. Why couldn’t they just despise him, like before?

“What happened?” Rapunzel asked.  
“I lost her again”, he answered simply.

They all knew what it meant. After the trust issues they had had in the past, Belle couldn’t stand all this silence and had broken her relationship with Rumpelstitskin.

“I just don’t know what to do to keep her. If I open up, if I tell her the truth, it will be worse than not knowing me.”  
“Honesty cannot hurt you, Rumpelstiltskin. She already knows much about you and she stayed all this time.”  
“You saw what I did. I’m a monster.”  
“Oh—” She took him in her arms and hugged him deeply. “No, you’re not. Not anymore. You’re better than those things you did and she knows that.”  
“Come in, Wilfried said, closing the door. Why don’t you tell us what happened? Maybe the five of us can find a solution to this problem.”

 

Marie stood by the window of the hospital room, getting the courage to get in. To forgive. Only she couldn’t see the man who had once asked her to be his wife. After all that happened, and all she knew now of the crimes he committed after she thought him dead, she knew forgiveness wouldn’t be an easy thing to give.

She left the hospital, taking the little key with her. Maybe one day, she would be able to give it back.


End file.
